


Silver Linings

by muscatmusic18



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Angst, Closure for Violet, F/M, Happy Ending, Miscarriage, and maybe a friendship too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-24 23:36:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13821843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muscatmusic18/pseuds/muscatmusic18
Summary: "Violet snuck into the room, preparing to wake the girl up, but the figure in the bed made her pause; she’d recognize those cheekbones anywhere."OrPeggy ends up in the hospital, and guess who ends up being her nurse?





	Silver Linings

**Author's Note:**

> This has been collecting dust in my drive forever, so I decided to polish it up for you darlings.

Peggy came up behind her husband, leaning into him as he stirred a pot on the stove. She hummed, basking in the aroma of his famous beef stew.

“Thank you for making dinner tonight, darling, and for taking my request.”

He glanced at her over his shoulder, smiling. “Anything to satisfy my pregnant wife’s cravings. I don’t want to get yelled at again,” he teased. While it was still early in her pregnancy, Peggy’s hormones had hit her hard, and she’d already started experiencing the infamous mood swings, yelling at Daniel over a stray sock on the floor.

She huffed out a sigh, lightly nipping his ear. “It was one time, and I’ve already apologized numerous times for that.”

He laughed and reached back, touching her side. “I know, I’m teasing. But, that aside,” he tasted the stew and nodded, “dinner is ready, so dig in.”

They sat together at the dinner table, making minimal conversation, but mostly just enjoying the rare quiet evening in. Peggy was still working with Howard and Phillips on their project during her pregnancy, and Daniel’s new job with the CIA kept him busy, so it wasn’t often that they had a domestic night together.

They finished dinner, and Peggy walked back into the kitchen, gathering all of their dirty dishes before starting to wash them. As she did, Daniel gazed at her, smiling faintly at the small swell of her belly. For the longest time, he was amazed on a daily basis that she was his wife, that she’d chosen to live her life with him. The feeling had faded over time (though it certainly hadn’t gone away), but now that she was pregnant with his child, it was back in full force. They were starting a family, and he still couldn’t figure out what he did to deserve her.

He looked back to his newspaper, browsing the sports section when the sound of glass shattering startled him. He glanced back at her, and a bolt of panic went through him as he saw Peggy with a hand on the counter, the other one on her belly, and a look of pain and terror on her face that he’d never seen before.

“Peggy!” He stood and ran to her, making it just in time to catch her as her knees buckled and she let out a pained whimper.

She looked up at him, fear in her eyes that scared the shit out of him, and uttered one word that made his blood run cold.

“Hospital.”

~~~~~~~~~

Daniel paced the waiting room, even though the blisters on his thigh told him that he should stop, but every time he closed his eyes he saw the blood spreading on her thighs, too much blood for everything to come out okay in the end.

Finally the doctor arrived, a tall man with a grim expression, and Daniel rushed to him.

“Mr. Sousa?”

“Yes, is she okay?” Daniel blurted out.

“Your wife is okay, but I’m afraid she lost the baby.” He spoke with a low voice, putting a hand on Daniel’s arm as he spoke. “My deepest apologies, Mr. Sousa.”

Daniel swallowed hard, too numb to express any emotions. “Can I see her?”

The doctor nodded. “Of course.”

As they walked through the maze of hallways, the doctor continued to talk. “We performed a D&C on her, so she’ll have to stay overnight for observation.” They reached her room, and he paused before opening the door. “You’re welcome to stay with her tonight, and if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask. Again, I’m very sorry for your loss.”

He opened the door and stepped in, his heart breaking at the sight of Peggy, unshed tears in her eyes. “Daniel, I…”

“I know, sweetheart.” He closed the door, fighting to speak through the lump in his throat. “You don’t have to say it.”

She let out a quivering breath, the tears finally spilling over as he stepped closer. “Daniel, I’m sorry.”

“Peg, this wasn’t your fault,” he consoled, taking a seat on her bed. “None of this was. This was an accident, nothing more.” He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight as she cried into his shoulder. He doesn’t know how long they sit there, his back stiff from the awkward position and his leg burning, but he doesn’t let go.

~~~~~~~~~

Violet walked through the halls of the hospital, rounding on all her patients while cursing the night shift. She loved helping people, she wouldn’t trade that skill for the world, but the later in the night it was, the more she wished she had a nine to five job.

She picked up the file outside of the next room, glancing through it. ‘Observation after D&C’ she read, and she frowned. Poor girl. A miscarriage was always hard, no matter what the circumstances were.

Violet snuck into the room, preparing to wake the girl up, but the figure in the bed made her pause; she’d recognize those cheekbones anywhere.

She let out a sigh, biting her lip. Out of all the hospitals in L.A, out of all the nurses that are on call, Peggy Carter had to come to her. And not just injured, but grieving after a miscarriage. With presumably Daniel’s baby.

That last thought made her wince. Sure, she’d been mad at the couple for awhile, but she’d never wished this upon them. This was arguably one of the hardest things a couple could go through, and now she was here, making things even more complicated.

Violet considered walking out and asking another nurse to take care of Peggy, but she decided against it. She could do this. She wasn't doing anything wrong, she was just doing her job.

She tiptoed in, gently closing the door behind her. Maybe she could do this quietly enough and not wake Peggy up.

“You don’t have to be quiet; I’m awake.” Peggy’s voice was soft and raw, but even then it held a grace in it that made Violet want to run away and not face their complicated relationship. Instead she steeled herself and turned around. Based on the nervous air Peggy had, she already knew who her nurse was.

“Hey, Peggy. How are you doing?”

Peggy looked down at her hands, avoiding Violet’s gaze. “I…”

“It’s okay, I saw your file. I already know.” There was a moment of silence between the women before Violet spoke again. “I’m really sorry, Peggy. I can’t imagine what this is like.”

The brunette nodded. “Thank you, Violet. I appreciate that.”

Violet shifted her feet, glancing down at the ground before approaching the bed and taking a seat. “Do you mind if I take some readings?”

“No, of course not.”

The blonde dug out a blood pressure cuff from the side table, the silence pressing on her until it was too much, and she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind to break it.

“Where’s Daniel?” She winced. Out of all the topics for small talk, she had to pick the one that made her seem like a desperate, heartbroken girl.

Peggy didn’t seem to mind, answering without hesitation. “The blisters on his leg were bothering him, so I sent him home to take care of them.”

Violet nodded, any reply leaving her head in that instance. Luckily, the blood pressure cuff was in place on Peggy’s arm, so she had an excuse to be quiet.

The blonde finished, marking down the numbers and unwinding the cuff. Then she took the brunette’s pulse, pleased with the readings. 

“Any pain or discomfort?”

“A little cramping, but the doctor said that was normal.” The usually grace of Peggy’s voice was gone, and instead it came out thick and heavy, like she was trying to speak through a lump in her throat.

“Would you like something for the pain?” Violet murmured.

“No,” The sudden intensity of Peggy’s voice surprised Violet, and when they made eye contact, the fire in them made her lean back in her chair a bit. Peggy, realizing her outburst, sunk back into her bed and looked away from Violet. “No, I’m alright.”

Violet suppressed a smile, realizing just how alike her and Daniel were. When she was still his PT nurse, she would offer him pain medication when it was clear that he was having a rough day, but he always refused, saying it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Later, when they were dating, he admitted to her that he never took it because the pain grounded him. It wasn’t that he liked the pain, it was just the accomplishment of getting through it without aid that he sought; it reminded him that he was alive. Now, watching Peggy do the exact same thing, she wondered if it was just the two of them, or if it was just that breed of soldier that liked suffering through the pain.

“Alright,” Violet said. “If you change your mind, don’t hesitate to ask.”

The blonde stood, preparing to leave, but Peggy’s voice stopped her.

“Violet? Is it… awkward, between us?”

The blonde paused, taken aback by Peggy’s question. She hadn’t expected to ever see the brunette again, much less have this conversation, so she hadn’t really thought about their situation. But after a moment to think, she answered honestly. “No... no, I don’t think it is.”

Peggy visibly relaxed, her shoulders slumping as she exhaled. “Alright. I just didn’t know where we stood. I haven’t seen you since…”

“You were bleeding to death on my couch?” Peggy nods, and Violet elaborates, hoping to quell even more of the brunette’s fears..

“Daniel and I were… Temporary. I did love him, and I think he loved me; not in the way that he loves you, of course, but I think it was still love. In some way, I think I always knew in the back of my mind that Daniel belonged to someone else, but I continued to ignore it. Then, he proposed to me, and I thought that maybe I was wrong, maybe this was the real deal and we could have a happily ever after. But then I saw the way he looked at you, that night you were brought to me bleeding out and close to death, and I was forced to confront my subconscious. I was mad at you, the first night Daniel and I broke up. I was mad, and I wanted to hate you so badly, but I couldn’t, because seeing the two of you together was like looking at the epitome of true love. So, a couple of days and a hangover later, I made my peace with it. I was still hurt, but even that’s faded. You and Daniel were made for each other, anyone could see that, and I just couldn’t stand in the way.”

Peggy looked at Violet, really looked, and for the first time that night, a small, genuine small played across her lips. “Thank you for being so wonderfully compassionate, Violet. If I was in your position, I don’t think I’d ever be able to forgive what we did to you.”

Violet chuckled lightly. “Well, when you’re feeling up to it, you can make it up to me by buying me coffee.”

Peggy smiled again. “I think that’s the very least I can do.”

Violet pulled one of her cards out of her pocket and put it on the side table. “When you’re better, give me a call and we’ll set something up. If you want to, that is.”

The brunette nodded. “I do. I want to make up for all the trouble I’ve caused, but more importantly, I want to find a friend in you.”

Violet smiled. “I think you’ll find one, Peg.” She put a hand on Peggy’s shoulder. “Now try and rest, you need it.”

The last thing Violet saw as she backed out the door was the faint smile still on Peggy’s lips, and her heart warmed. Perhaps tonight wasn’t as much of a disaster as she thought it would be.

~~~~~~~~~

It was just after six in the morning now, and Violet was just getting off of her shift. Her feet ached, her back was sore, her scrub top was ill fitted since she had to borrow a coworker’s after someone threw up on her, and all she really wanted to do was go home and face plant into the couch, but she drug herself up the stairs and down the hall to Peggy’s room. After their midnight heart to heart, Violet found herself worrying about the English woman, not just as a nurse but as a friend as well, and she wanted to check in one more time before she left.

She slowly opened and stepped in, her eyes adjusting to the dim lighting in the room, and expected to see Peggy with a small smile, but instead she found the brunette asleep with Daniel sitting in the chair next to her bed, his hair a mess and bags under his eyes, but the surprise of her being there was still evident on his face.

“V-Violet!” he stuttered, obviously at a loss for words.

She swallowed hard. This hadn’t been part of her plan, but she stood her ground. “Daniel! I’m sorry to intrude, I just came by to check in on Peggy.”

He nodded. “I-uh, yeah of course, let me get out of your way.” He stood from his chair and moved to the other side of the bed, and as he did, she noticed how pronounced his limp was. Peggy was right, his leg must be bothering him if he let his limp get that bad.

Violet sat and pulled out the blood pressure cuff again. She also hadn’t planned on taking Peggy’s readings, meaning to leave that to the nurse on call, but Daniel mistakenly thought that’s what she meant by “check in on Peggy”, and she was too tired to explain that she was actually checking in as a friend, because that’s what her and Peggy were now. Maybe. But, she did it regardless. At least it made someone’s job easier.

She wrapped the cuff around the brunette’s arm, who didn’t stir at the touch. She thought that was odd, given that she was a soldier, but when she studied the English woman, Violet realized that her sleep was one of drugs, not of exhaustion.

“Did she take the pain medication?” she asked Daniel, confused.

“No. She had a nightmare and couldn’t calm down, so they sedated her.”

Violet bit her lip. She wished she would have known, she would have stopped the doctor from pushing the medication. Given how much Daniel hated taking drugs that made him tired, Peggy probably hated it was well.

“At least she’ll rest now. Her body needs it.”

Daniel didn’t respond, probably because he didn’t know what to say or couldn’t get the words out, so Violet put on her stethoscope, methodically working through her exam. When she finished, she slowly wrapped up the blood pressure cuff, suspecting that Daniel had something to say.

“I assume you know… what happened to her.”

Violet nodded slowly. “I’m really sorry, Daniel. No one deserves to go through this, least of all you two.”

He chuckled, confusion etched on his face. “I’m surprised you say that.”

She shrugged, fiddling with her stethoscope. “I’ve made my peace with it. It was a breakup, these things happen, that doesn’t mean I’m going to hold a grudge against you.” She laughed a bit. “In fact, your wife and I had a conversation just like this last night; you should ask her about it when she wakes up.”

He froze. “I assume the conversation went well?” he said carefully.

“Yeah, it went really well. Like I said, you should ask Peggy about it when she wakes up, she’ll probably explain it better than I will, but I think I can find a friend in her.”

She could almost see the gears in his mind turn, wondering just what happened while he was away, so she bit back a laugh and stood, preparing to leave him with his thoughts.

“Everything looks really good, I think she’ll be able to get out of here soon. Please tell her that I hope she’s feeling better when she wakes up, and once again, I’m really sorry this happened to the two of you.”

He nodded, making his way back over to the chair as she headed towards the door. “I will. And Violet?”

She paused and turned, her hand still on the door handle.

“Thank you, for everything, and for forgiving me.” The sincerity shining in his eyes surprised her, as did the depth of his words.

She smiled softly, feeling as though a weight lifted off her shoulders. “It’s the least I could do, Daniel. You deserve each other, and I’m not one to stand in the way of that.”

With one last smile at each other, Violet closed the door behind her, sighing. She quickly marked the date and time of Peggy’s readings in her file, then headed towards the stairs, laughing lightly at just how unbelievable her night had been. Who would’ve thought she’d find a friend and closure in her ex's wife?


End file.
